It usually took over the body of our teacher when it... communicated with is. I tried to punch it once while it was in his body, but no dice. It isn't a single entity, however; rather, there's more than one of it.
[ Does she sound a little bitter? Maybe, just a little. ] But the five of us persevered each phenomena. For almost two years, we dealt with that crap, unable to say anything to anybody outside our group. There was a time where Taichi forgot everything about me.
[ She clenches a fist, balling it up tightly. ]
I don't want that to happen to me. Even if the phenomena were bad, if they didn't happen, I... would have kept my feelings hidden forever. Taichi, he would have probably ended up with Iori. Sometimes, I think about that, of those alternate scenarios.
I'm always constantly checking to see if it shows up on my CEREVice, if any hint of him appears when new arrivals show up... Since I've always wanted to find out the truth. I want to know exactly what Heartseed is, why they did all of this. And back home, I'm the only one who can do it.
[Rei's fists balled up even harder, nails digging into her skin in frustration. She didn't like hearing this. It sounded entirely too familiar to her. An outside force exerting control over simple high school students? A collective group of entities that overrode human will, for what? To what end?]
Inaba, Does it have a goal or did it keep you entirely in the dark?
It said that we, collectively, as a group were... "interesting" [ air quotes included ] to it. Basically we were its entertainment. But I always thought there was something bigger... A more important reason why we were chosen.
Yeah. [ It's definitely more than a little disturbing, if you ask her. ] I was thinking that it might have something to do with, well, emotions. Whenever it took over Gotou's body, it seemed... lifeless. Its voice was monotonous.
And it did. It says it can kill us, but... I don't know how much I can trust that. It took over my friend's body once, Iori... and forced her to jump off a bridge.
[ Her tone turns stern as she presses her lips together, looking directly at Rei with clarity in her eyes. ]
I... when it comes to trust, it's not easy. [ Even as her voice remains even, her emotions become melancholic; it seems that she's definitely recalling something from the past. But in regards to Rei's question? ] But yeah, I trust you enough to risk this much. And as for believing... it's hard not to, when I've been through all of the bullshit this place has to offer for half a month.
[ That statement... it causes her to freeze up, tense slightly, and just stare at Rei blankly, unable to form words... for a moment. But it soon dissipates. ]
[Rei's hand is warm. Unnaturally so. And through the contact, she's able to form a link. Closing her eyes, Rei concentrates and pushes an image towards Inaba.
An image of fire, a burning sigil of a heart pierce by an arrow, and a ruddy red ball floating through the vastness of space.
And then bringing her finger up to her heart, she concentrates harder...and her chest begins to glow.]
Do you remember the flood?
[You're smart, Inaba, can you put the pieces together with the clues she's giving?]
[ Of course, she twinges slightly at the mental image; while she's used to seeing things in her head and instinctively wants to push it away - she's seen hopes, the dreams of others, other people's invasive thoughts - but this is more natural, and it's unnaturally warm, but not burning.
She takes deep breaths. In, out, and in again. The subtle hints cause her to pause, and she can't help but gape slightly. ]
... Yeah. I was pretty annoyed back then. [ Understatement of the year. ]
[The transformation is just as swift, Rei's outfit changing from the miko robes to that of Eternal Sailor Mars in a flash of orange light. And that transformation brings with it something else, a sheer presence that weighs on the entire room, a subtle mental pressure unconsciously settling in.]
You had every right to be. Maris wronged us all. [Her lip curls upwards.] But that's not what we were talking about, were we. [A finger taps her tiara, a confident smile finally blossoming.]
If it comes here, Heartseed may find itself a bit overmatched in me. I cannot be possessed or controlled in any way. Gods have tried and failed. And I've destroyed entities with no body. I can touch the realm of the mind and spirit, and in the name of Mars, I swear I will punish them for what they did to you.
[ There's definitely a presence in this room that intimidates Inaba herself, but it's different from that of Heartseed. He seemed to be cold, cruel; that much she could tell. But Rei -- no, Mars? -- brought something different to the table. ]
It wasn't. [ Yet she can't help but feel a little bitter about it. ]
... Thanks, though. Ah, but I don't want it to be destroyed until I know the truth. I need to know. Even if the events caused the five of us to be stronger, to change in a better way, well... I don't know.
[ All she can do is shake her head. ] Heartseed, it's-- also the reason why I've been extremely wary of CERES to begin with. I've never trusted them. Because they messed with my head, just like it, on the first few days of myself being here.
[ She can remember it clearly, too. Arriving, playing a game, getting a tarot card, seeing people's personalities shift dramatically, seeing hers shift not so much - it was subtle, but it was enough for her to tell that she was acting different. ] So even if Heartseed has stopped like it said it would, that doesn't change the fact that this world still rouses up glitches every now and again that can effect a person in various ways, psychologically or physically, and not one person has gotten close to being able to stop it, or even hack into their systems.
And I don't like the fact. That CERES. Can get into my head. Share all my memories around to other people. And reveal all of my secrets and weaknesses to the world. [ That last part, right there? It's spoken in rushed Japanese, clipped. It seems she has personal experience on this front. ]
[Mars shakes her head, letting go of Inaba's hand and smiling sharply. A reasonable answer, but not one she can fully...buy into. Not if her own thoughts are even half true.]
If it arrives here, you should tell me. It sounds much the same as some of my oldest foes, and if the theory of multiple universes holds true, it could very well be one of my old foes in your reality. I need to be aware of it, because now that you've told me, I can't ignore the possibility. If any of them got loose in the colony, they would make CERES seem kind by comparison.
[Mars voice remains firm, steady, unruffled. She hated CERES just as much, of course. She hated CERES with every fiber of her being, but...she can empathize.]
We all have problems with them. They've given us no reason to trust them and every reason do distrust them, frankly. I regard them as much our enemy as I would some from home, after the raid. I was in their facility, as you might recall, and they are keeping spirits hostage and shadow creatures freely roam their halls. There's nothing trustworthy about them.
Plus, as you yourself have said there's been no mention of these aliens that supposedly killed our worlds. It's a poor cover story, all in all, and it adds up to us being effectively imprisoned on a hostile world by a potentially hostile force. For all we know the glitches are intentional, after all.
... We'll see. I'd rather not have it, or hell, even Gotou show up here. [ She's referring to her teacher without any honorifics, how sweet. ]
Yeah. But I've been thinking about it lately. Even though the Bridge was "held hostage", it didn't sound like that was the case initially, which I find rather strange. I need to find out why the Bridge was taken in the first place, or rather, what would allow the other spirits or natives give the Bridge to CERES, even if it's in exchange for gifts. [ She shrugs at the thought, letting out a deep sigh. ]
And yeah. I've been to their facility too. I mean, at least I know better now how to deal with those damn shadow creatures now. [ It should be obvious?? ] It's definitely a poor cover story. But the issue is the fact that I don't think CERES is full of idiots. But it doesn't make sense that they'd write a cover story that nobody would believe. While there may be some bits and pieces that may be true, like the fact that yeah, it seems we're made of code. I mean, we can disappear from this world for three days of Cerealia's time, but be in our home worlds for longer than that. Plus, there's the Nexus Code.
But even with knowing these things there always ends up being more questions... left unanswered.
There are always questions left unanswered where they're concerned.
[Mars just shakes her head and sighs.]
I don't doubt that we are code, and I don't doubt the Nexus Code theory, but I definitely do not buy into the rest of the tripe they spout. They aren't stupid, but they are also just...strange. The stuff that they talk about just doesn't add up and it's obviously smoke and mirrors.
Which is why I'm more than a little bit sure the glitches are deliberate. A calculated act to make us believe they are fools.
Yeah... I mean, it seems that the glitches are shorter than the phenomena Heartseed's placed on us, but sometimes, they act similar. So if I catch a glitch, or if I notice someone with it, it's easier for me to handle.
[ It's... kind of a blessing, really in that case?? Not that she'd ever thank Heartseed for anything. ]
None of the glitches have been anything but bizarre for me, truth be told. But my enemies have been nothing short of...weird.
[Says the magical girl. A part of her wonders why Inaba isn't more freaked out by this, given some people's reactions and Inaba's comparative normalcy to people like Ryuko Matoi...]
[ She's been here too long. Plus, she's already seen Ryuko's... form... before... it's hard for her to be surprised at this point. Plus, Inaba herself is kind of a manga nerd, and there's plenty of magical girl stories in that department. ]
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[ Does she sound a little bitter? Maybe, just a little. ] But the five of us persevered each phenomena. For almost two years, we dealt with that crap, unable to say anything to anybody outside our group. There was a time where Taichi forgot everything about me.
[ She clenches a fist, balling it up tightly. ]
I don't want that to happen to me. Even if the phenomena were bad, if they didn't happen, I... would have kept my feelings hidden forever. Taichi, he would have probably ended up with Iori. Sometimes, I think about that, of those alternate scenarios.
I'm always constantly checking to see if it shows up on my CEREVice, if any hint of him appears when new arrivals show up... Since I've always wanted to find out the truth. I want to know exactly what Heartseed is, why they did all of this. And back home, I'm the only one who can do it.
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Inaba, Does it have a goal or did it keep you entirely in the dark?
[Important questions.]
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And it did. It says it can kill us, but... I don't know how much I can trust that. It took over my friend's body once, Iori... and forced her to jump off a bridge.
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You don't think you can trust it's word? Did your friend survive?
.... fuck i mean to type in *can't kill us, my bad
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[Rei's lip peeled back into something akin to a sneer.]
And you never found a way to fight back? This is why you're so uncomfortable around the supernatural, I take it?
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[ It's... the same as some of the glitches in this place, really. ] And yeah. It's one of the reasons why supernatural things bother me. A lot.
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You're taking a big risk, as you see it, then. Telling me this. Does that mean you trust me? Despite being something supernatural, myself, I mean.
[More importantly.]
And would you believe me if I told you beings like this...Heartseed...exist in my reality as well?
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[ Her tone turns stern as she presses her lips together, looking directly at Rei with clarity in her eyes. ]
I... when it comes to trust, it's not easy. [ Even as her voice remains even, her emotions become melancholic; it seems that she's definitely recalling something from the past. But in regards to Rei's question? ] But yeah, I trust you enough to risk this much. And as for believing... it's hard not to, when I've been through all of the bullshit this place has to offer for half a month.
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Would it surprise you to learn, then, that I've also fought beings like that? Things with no physical form that twist hearts and steal bodies.
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You-- really?
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Take my hand, I'll show you what I mean.
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... Alright.
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An image of fire, a burning sigil of a heart pierce by an arrow, and a ruddy red ball floating through the vastness of space.
And then bringing her finger up to her heart, she concentrates harder...and her chest begins to glow.]
Do you remember the flood?
[You're smart, Inaba, can you put the pieces together with the clues she's giving?]
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She takes deep breaths. In, out, and in again. The subtle hints cause her to pause, and she can't help but gape slightly. ]
... Yeah. I was pretty annoyed back then. [ Understatement of the year. ]
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You had every right to be. Maris wronged us all. [Her lip curls upwards.] But that's not what we were talking about, were we. [A finger taps her tiara, a confident smile finally blossoming.]
If it comes here, Heartseed may find itself a bit overmatched in me. I cannot be possessed or controlled in any way. Gods have tried and failed. And I've destroyed entities with no body. I can touch the realm of the mind and spirit, and in the name of Mars, I swear I will punish them for what they did to you.
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It wasn't. [ Yet she can't help but feel a little bitter about it. ]
... Thanks, though. Ah, but I don't want it to be destroyed until I know the truth. I need to know. Even if the events caused the five of us to be stronger, to change in a better way, well... I don't know.
[ All she can do is shake her head. ] Heartseed, it's-- also the reason why I've been extremely wary of CERES to begin with. I've never trusted them. Because they messed with my head, just like it, on the first few days of myself being here.
[ She can remember it clearly, too. Arriving, playing a game, getting a tarot card, seeing people's personalities shift dramatically, seeing hers shift not so much - it was subtle, but it was enough for her to tell that she was acting different. ] So even if Heartseed has stopped like it said it would, that doesn't change the fact that this world still rouses up glitches every now and again that can effect a person in various ways, psychologically or physically, and not one person has gotten close to being able to stop it, or even hack into their systems.
And I don't like the fact. That CERES. Can get into my head. Share all my memories around to other people. And reveal all of my secrets and weaknesses to the world. [ That last part, right there? It's spoken in rushed Japanese, clipped. It seems she has personal experience on this front. ]
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If it arrives here, you should tell me. It sounds much the same as some of my oldest foes, and if the theory of multiple universes holds true, it could very well be one of my old foes in your reality. I need to be aware of it, because now that you've told me, I can't ignore the possibility. If any of them got loose in the colony, they would make CERES seem kind by comparison.
[Mars voice remains firm, steady, unruffled. She hated CERES just as much, of course. She hated CERES with every fiber of her being, but...she can empathize.]
We all have problems with them. They've given us no reason to trust them and every reason do distrust them, frankly. I regard them as much our enemy as I would some from home, after the raid. I was in their facility, as you might recall, and they are keeping spirits hostage and shadow creatures freely roam their halls. There's nothing trustworthy about them.
Plus, as you yourself have said there's been no mention of these aliens that supposedly killed our worlds. It's a poor cover story, all in all, and it adds up to us being effectively imprisoned on a hostile world by a potentially hostile force. For all we know the glitches are intentional, after all.
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Yeah. But I've been thinking about it lately. Even though the Bridge was "held hostage", it didn't sound like that was the case initially, which I find rather strange. I need to find out why the Bridge was taken in the first place, or rather, what would allow the other spirits or natives give the Bridge to CERES, even if it's in exchange for gifts. [ She shrugs at the thought, letting out a deep sigh. ]
And yeah. I've been to their facility too. I mean, at least I know better now how to deal with those damn shadow creatures now. [ It should be obvious?? ] It's definitely a poor cover story. But the issue is the fact that I don't think CERES is full of idiots. But it doesn't make sense that they'd write a cover story that nobody would believe. While there may be some bits and pieces that may be true, like the fact that yeah, it seems we're made of code. I mean, we can disappear from this world for three days of Cerealia's time, but be in our home worlds for longer than that. Plus, there's the Nexus Code.
But even with knowing these things there always ends up being more questions... left unanswered.
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[Mars just shakes her head and sighs.]
I don't doubt that we are code, and I don't doubt the Nexus Code theory, but I definitely do not buy into the rest of the tripe they spout. They aren't stupid, but they are also just...strange. The stuff that they talk about just doesn't add up and it's obviously smoke and mirrors.
Which is why I'm more than a little bit sure the glitches are deliberate. A calculated act to make us believe they are fools.
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[ It's... kind of a blessing, really in that case?? Not that she'd ever thank Heartseed for anything. ]
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[Says the magical girl. A part of her wonders why Inaba isn't more freaked out by this, given some people's reactions and Inaba's comparative normalcy to people like Ryuko Matoi...]
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You must have a lot of stories to tell.
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